Winter Driving Master Class

- TracyB 4 Comments

As many of my regular readers will know that before I had to give up work through illness I worked as a Qualified Driving Instructor. I happened to love the job and really miss it. What amazed me through my time working was how many people would cancel a driving lesson when the weather deteriorated. Some pupils who started driving in the summer hated going out in the darker nights. Some panicked when they had turned up for their test in the rain after managing to get through their lessons without driving in proper rainfall!! And don’t get me started on the snow!! I had to coax a few take their lessons as the snow had started to melt. Yet, in the highway code and the theory test there are multiple questions on how to change your style of driving to suit the weather conditions. Even now it amazes me how people still drive like idiots when it is chucking it down. They don’t adjust their speed and they certainly don’t adjust their distance from other vehicles in adverse conditions!!

Does this sound familiar to you? Are you one of those people who don’t really know how to adjust their driving in different conditions?

Well tune into this web show for the best advice around:

Winter driving master class

Log on to our web TV show for tips from motoring expert Quentin Willson on how to prepare your car and yourself for bad conditions

Show date: Thursday 3rd November

Show time: 15.00

 

If you’ve ever ventured out into the snow or ice in your car you’ll know it can be scary, dangerous and treacherous to navigate your vehicle while skidding around in low visibility.

But despite the fact winter driving requires a lot of skill and a vehicle that can handle the conditions, new research shows that millions of us continue to drive in terrible British winter conditions without really preparing ourselves for the journey ahead.

Unlike other European countries like Germany where winter driving is almost an artform and regulated by the Government, in the UK most of us don’t change to winter tyres, and most of us have never been given lessons in driving in snow and ice.

Furthermore, with a severe cold snap approaching once more this year, how many of us have started packing an emergency kit to chuck in the boot in case we break down and get stuck in freezing conditions for hours on end?

Motoring expert Quentin Willson has joined with Goodyear to help drivers prepare for winter by giving them driving and preparation tips to keep them safe this winter.

Log on to our Web TV show where Quentin and Kate Rock from Goodyear show you how to drive for the conditions and what could happen if you’re not prepared.

THURSDAY 3RD NOVEMBER @ 3PM

http://studiotalk.tv/show/winter-driving-masterclass

Click here to submit questions before the show

http://studiotalk.tv/show/winter-driving-masterclass

 

What’s that noise?…………….peace and quiet!

- TracyB 4 Comments

Tell me, am I the only horrible mother in the world that has breathed a sigh of relief now the kids are back to school?

Surely I’m not on my own here. Yesterday was like heaven in the respect that I had no TV on, no radios or Ipods blaring, and most of all NO ARGUING! ( Well that was until they came home from school to get organised for Halloween. Which truly ended up as a ‘Benny Hill’ style fast forward video as I had friends round and needed to feed everyone, play games, take kids trick or treating and then have them ready and changed for Scouts by 7.20pm!!!

No easy feat I can tell you……………………….

Last minute.com pumpkins done the night before!!


The motley crew!

 


Before we knew it we were off trick or treating and then the boys were whisked off to scouts for more mess and games!!

All we needed was some comedy music and it wouldn’t have been out of place on a Benny Hill episode.

But after a hectic week over half term I’m kind of glad it’s all calmed down a little………….well for this week anyway. I’m totally enjoying ( rightly or wrongly) the peace during the day. Now I may be able to catch up on all the stuff that’s been put on hold since the start of the holidays.

So am I the only one?

 

 

 

Bakestone Traditional Northern goods Review

- TracyB Leave a comment

Bakestone products are made with only the freshest ingredients and the company was started by baker Howard Hunter who has been in the baking industry for over 30 years and has a passion for bread and baked goods, he also still runs a family run company making and distributing bread.

I was lucky enough to be sent some of their goods to try out. but before I go any further I must confess:

* I am Irish and therefore have benn brought up on what I consider the best breads etc in the world!! ( OK may be slightly biased)

So here’s what we had the chance to try out:

 

Yum.........carbohydrate overload!! Love it

 

So as a bread and potato lover myself we went straight for the Potato Breads and had a very late breakfast!

Now as I said before as a true Irish girl at heart I had preconceptions of these being slightly under par in comparison to irish potato cakes!! But I must admit that it pains me to say that these really are on par with the irish ones…………………which is a huge compliment from me!

Second up was the scones:

Definitely my favourite!

 

Made in true Devon Tea style these were absolutely scrumptious with butter and jam and a pot of tea!! Not too overpowering with fruit but enough to taste and enjoy. I love anything that feels like a treat. These weren’t too floury ( some can be) and overall were beautiful with a cuppa on a cold afternoon!

 

I have been assured that the muffins were perfect for lunches both by my OH and the boys with thier packed lunches!! So much so I had to go and buy similar as the lunch boxes were coming back empty, for a change. This would have been something I would have overlooked on a bread shelf, but will actively by more of these if it means my boys will eat their lunches!

 

Lastly was the long wholemeal loaf. My boys would not touch it as they have to have wholemeal disguised like 50/50 or Best of Both!! I, however only eat wholemeal so this was left for me to review. I eat a lot of toast in one form or another ( normal toast/ toasted sandwiches/ tomatoes or beans on toast- you get the picture). I enjoyed the bread toasted but felt it was a bit dry to enjoy it in sandwich form.

But don’t take my word for it, take a look at their website to find out about the whole range of goods. See what you think.

http://www.bakestone.co.uk/index.php

 

Disclosure: all views are my own and the goods were sent free of charge in order for me to review.

Grassroots football voucher scheme

- TracyB Leave a comment

 

We are not a huge football family in this household, however I am completely behind any scheme that gets kids off their backsides, away from screens and outside in the fresh air getting active!!

In our own childhoods ( those of us of a certain age *cough* anyway) we were always out playing, or that is at least what I remember. We didn’t have all the range of after school activity clubs that are available now, so we made our own fun. Playing football, rounders, rollerskating and what seemed like forever out on our bikes!!

But today’s world is a very competitive sporting world. Yet children who excel in the sports world to any recognisable level may struggle with funding or even having the specialist facilities or coaching available in this country.

However, with football being regarded as one of the nations favourite sports a new initiative is now being introduced for all those mums and dads who give up their time to coach children’s teams without any training.

Click the link below to find out more:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/otkFlmPo2Rc

Martin Keown paves the road to Wembley for mum and dad grassroots coaches:

Grassroots football voucher scheme launched along with a search for 12 coaches to head to Wembley for Coaching Masterclass with football legends

Grassroots football across Britain is set to receive a massive boost following the launch of a new coaching voucher scheme, backed by football legends including Martin Keown, and Sir Geoff Hurst, which will see 500 amateur coaches offered FA accredited coaching courses, while 12 will be put through their paces by Sir Geoff and ex Manchester United youth coach, Eric Harrison at a one off Coaching Masterclass at Wembley in November.

The vouchers, which are being rolled out by the FA’s Community Partner, McDonald’s, are available to the thousands of mums and dads and members of the community who give up their time every week at football clubs around the nation to coach their own kids and others.

While these parents and volunteers tirelessly fill the coaching gap that currently exists in grassroots football around Britain, the majority of them have no coaching qualifications and in many clubs which struggle with funding, there is no opportunity or resource to provide them with the chance to upskill.

The concern is that unlike in other football superpower nations such as Germany and Spain, young footballers in this country are missing out on learning basic and vital skills at a young age because of a lack of qualified coaches at grassroots level, which ultimately could impact on the game at national level in the future.

Recent research of football clubs by McDonalds found that the three major challenges faced by the majority in Britain are money –  chronic shortage of funds (for kit/courses/facilities), time – often ‘lost’ to admin (business skills, applications, development) and behaviour – dealing with poor conduct (players and parents).

 

It’s hoped that the McDonald’s vouchers , which are available to all potential and existing coaches in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, will give these cash strapped clubs a valuable boost, by helping not only individual coaches but the clubs as a whole gain new coaching knowledge and skills.

While 500 coaches from around Britain will be offered FA accredited coaching courses, 12 will be given the opportunity to be part of a once in a lifetime Coaching Masterclass session at Wembley in November taken by Sir Geoff Hurst and Eric Harrison, the man widely credited with talent spotting and developing Manchester United’s golden generation, including David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, and a host of other footballing greats.

 

 

It’s 11+ Results Day

- TracyB 3 Comments

It’s 11+ Results Day

Yes, it’s a very nervous day in my household today. It’s the day my youngest son’s 11+ results arrive on our doorstep.

11+ results

As the day has drawn closer I have noticed him getting more and more concerned about it. He is hoping to pass but we have tried to warn him that it doesn’t always go to plan and not to be too disappointed if he doesn’t get through.

However, what makes it worse is that he is a bright boy. He absolutely has the potential to pass. He has done some work towards it but we tried not to put extra pressure on him as there is never any guarantee.

Going on his work at home, if he finished the practise papers on time he then didn’t do very well. But if he concentrated and didn’t finish the paper on time, quality rather than quantity, then he tended to get a good score.
On both of the test days he came out saying that he had finished the papers. So not a great sign at the time.

But you just never know. We are not holding our breath as parents however, we are trying to prepare for the meltdown that will be if he doesn’t ‘pass’ the test. I know he will feel a failure, and may feel a little resentment against his brother, who did pass a few years ago and attends the school my youngest really wants to go to. So, tomorrow going into school will be hellish for him.

You see most people have the opinion that he will pass. I’m afraid that they mistake his confidence, which he has in abundance, for ability. I think he feels under pressure because of this.

These are children who are only 10 or 11 years old. They are too young to have this much pressure. I know of many parents who openly talk about it all in front of them and therefore, the pressure of not being a ‘failure’ is all too apparent.

My post does not arrive until lunchtime. Blimey I don’t think my nerves will stand it.

Little does he know that I will be steaming that letter open to find out the result before he opens it on his return from school. I need to be prepared in order to deal with any of his disappointment straight away.

On the other hand he may pass and be overjoyed. Who knows what the day holds.

Either way we will be treating him to dinner out to at least celebrate the fact it will all be over!

Get me off this speeding train……………………………….called life!!

- TracyB 6 Comments

This week has passed with the blink of an eye!! Really I feel as though I stepped on a speeding train and forgot to get off. Lets face it life has been a bit of a whirlwind since the kids have gone back to school.

It started with Friday 23rd being my youngest sons 11th birthday. bless him he had done the 11+ test that week and was so glad to get it all over that he really couldn’t wait for his big day!

Yes shock of all shocks he had to go to school on his birthday! Life is so hard.

Now for some reason he though we might let him have the day off……..but we are bad parents and made him go to school anyway! But he had a great day there and had some lovely pressies from his good friends. That night he was going to milk it for all he was worth so we had present opening….

Followed by dinner out…………..TGI’s being his choice……………

Followed by cake…………………………….yum!!

Who doesn’t love chocolate caterpillar cake!!

Before all this we had a discussion on what he wanted to do for his birthday. A disco, cinema with some friends, a sleepover, Quasar, all the usual stuff. But although he loves to go to a party and is extremely sociable he wanted a day with the family……………..FISHING!!!!

one of his catches!

But the week didn’t stop there………..oh no. We had 2 secondary school visits, a doctors appointment, a dreded dentist appointment, all afterschool classes ( scouts, boys football/youth club, dance class, drama class) amongst all the usual shopping, washing, ironing……………….yes I know a familiar story to you all!!

Then came a last minute audition for my youngest up at Covent Garden which then re arranged all our plans to meet up with friends to take the kids all swimming ( while we catch up on the gossip!). So OH went one way and me and my youngest went another. Then on to friends for dinner, drinking, gossiping and far too late a night ( which was fab!) and then a hideouslyearly morning to get both boys to Scouts for a day Power Boating activity at Whitstable!!
It was the hottest day of the so called summer! The boys were away. We had the day to ourselves………..so what did we do……………………………….FISHING!!!

Now this is where I know I am being mentally affected by the pace of life!! I have the choice of what to do, a day out without kids, a whole day to do what we wanted……………and i chose fishing!!!!

RIGHT, SOMETHING MENTALLY WRONG……………………………you agree?

Most people get a misd life crisis, indulge in implants,face lifts, radical hair do’s, wearing skirts that are too short or tops that are too low……………………………………………..Oh no not me………………I go fishing!!!!!

Someone save me from this insanity!!!!!!!
I need to get out more……………..or drink more………………….or both!!!!


Mums half hour!

- TracyB 1 Comment
Mums Half Hour Episode Five: Join Us Live 
 Love it or hate it almost everyone has an opinion on breastfeeding! Did it work for you or did you feel a failure for either not giving it a go, or trying but being unsuccesful? Do you breastfeed in public?
 With kids comes exhaustion, we have all experienced that. Do you have a child with a sleep pattern from hell?
 Halloween- do you celebrate? Do you think it’s over rated? How do you keep your kids entertained over Halloween?
 
The panel discuss all of these issues on the show on friday 14th Oct @ 13.30
No one understands these issues more than our panel of mums for the next episode of Mums Half Hour. Joining us live and answering your questions, are Penny Jenner, Pamela Hey and Amber Spain. With half term looming, the panel will be discussing breastfeeding from pumps to positioning, how to tackle disruptive sleep patterns and sharing their own personal experiences and tips on what’s worked for them.
This webTV show will be live and interactive, with the panel taking your questions and thoughts so if you have something to say, they want to hear it!

Our panel join us live online at www.youtube.com/startriteshoes on Friday 14th October at 13.30 to discuss breastfeeding, and dealing with difficult sleeping patterns.
Don’t forget you can click on the link and submit your questions in order to be involved with the show
 
 

For another chance to win a year’s supply of Start-rite shoes, log onto www.youtube.com/startriteshoes and submit a question along with your contact details

What do Ghoul School, Woolworths and Jeff Brazier have in common?

- TracyB 6 Comments

What do Ghoul School, Woolworths and Jeff Brazier have in common?

Jeff Brazier has been recruited by Woolworths.co.uk to become the Head Teacher of a Halloween venture called Ghoul School to find the scariest kids in the UK!!

Kids from all over the UK are being asked to don their best Halloween outfits including their ‘scariest faces’ and ‘monster attitudes’ for the new online event to find a ‘Head boy and girl’ through a series of tasks at the Ghoul School. Head Teacher Jeff with be helped by his monster team ‘The Woolies’ to help him on the day!

So how do I know all this?

Well I had the opportunity to interview Jeff about this venture in conjunction with Woolworths.

I have never interviewed anyone before, so to say I was a bit nervous was a huge understatement! But I thought that I would take note of all the ‘self help’ style jargon and ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’!

However, I needn’t have worried in the slightest as he was an absolute pleasure to chat to. In fact he made the job easy for me as I had finally met someone who could talk as much as me. He was really down to earth talking about the new venture with Woolworths. How he enjoys celebrating Halloween with his boys and how he tries to ‘recycle’ some of their sweets they get Trick or Treating and save them from rotting teeth!

Anyway I thought I would share a few of the questions with you and then I have been brave enough to include the audio of the interview with you

However, there are rules………………………

 

1. Don’t be too critical as it was my first ever interview!

2. No laughing at the comedy Irish accent……….that’s mine not his!

3. No leaving comments telling me I sound like one of the kids off ‘Why Don’t You’ (those readers of a certain age will remember the programme)

Here are a few of the questions I managed to ask……….

 

Do you dress up and try and scare away the kids Trick or Treating at your door?

No, I dress up and go out with the kids and everyone knows that it’s me where I live, if you get what I mean, and my door is probably busier than most. So I think they assume that because I work on television that I’ve got a shed load of sweets and a shed load of money, and neither of those statements are actually true. But no I really do need to stock up and I know where I will be going to get the sweets as well.

For the kids who want to get involved with the event what exactly do they have to do?

Ok, so what it is, is a one off event actually run by Woolworths.co.uk the Ghoul School is their creation and we’ve basically found a wonderful manor house, a Tudor mansion up in Liverpool called Speke hall, and we would like 10 finalists to join us where on the day we’ll play lots of challenges, play games and basically try our very best to find our Head Boy and Head Girl.
Kids have until Sunday to get their entries in. What they need to do to prove that they are the scariest kid in the UK, they need to dress up and get their face paint on, and they need to be as scary looking as possible and parents need to send their picture by email to Woolworths@thebrooklandsbrotherspr.com with 140 words explaining why the kids think they are the scariest in the UK.

Are you going to be a ‘wicked’ Head Teacher or are you going to try and be nice to the children?

No, I’m going to get rid of Jeff Brazier for the day. I’m going to be the Head Teacher of the Ghoul School, I’ve yet to think of a name, my alias. I’m going to make it my personal mission in life to scare them all the time and really put them to the test!

But to hear the interview in full just click on the link below to download and listen. He talks about all things Halloween, his kids and sweets!!!!

 

 

Jeff is currently working with Woolworths.co.uk to find the nation’s scariest children to attend the world’s first ever Ghoul School which Jeff is head teacher of. Ghoul School will be held at Speke Hall, Liverpool on 8th October 2011 where Jeff will help Woolworths.co.uk name a Head Boy and Head Girl of Ghoul School.
 
Visit Woolworths.co.uk for further details and to meet The Woolies.
 

**REMEMBER CHILDREN ONLY HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY TO ENTER**

11+ nerves

- TracyB 8 Comments

It’s 11+ tests tomorrow and I don’t know who’s more nervous…….mum and dad or the son who’s taking it!!!

We have a 13 yr old who has already gone through this who comfortably passed his and attends a really nice grammar school close by. This school is perfect for him as it is mixed and because he is a sensitive soul we thought it would be better for him. He loves it there ( as much as any boy ‘loves’ school!) and has made a great set of friends that from the beginning of year 7 to today in year 9 have all stuck by each other.

However, I think this makes it more difficult for the second child. He also wants to go to the same school as his brother, he has already had a look around and loves the drama department there ( as some of you may remember he is a budding ‘actor’!!). He is also a very capable child and has been in top sets for maths and literacy in junior school. But there is no guarantee that he will get through on the test!

He has worked hard towards it with his dad ( which we did with our older son) however, we have tried not to put too much pressure on him about it. Rightly or wrongly we never sent either of our boys to a tutor in order for them to pass. Any work they have undertaken over the summer has been worked through by my OH who seems to have the patience of a saint when it comes to school work!! We live on the border of Kent so the children can also apply to do the Kent 11+ too and I know some of the kids from his year have taken that on Saturday. He decided (just like my eldest) that he didn’t want to take this test as it would possibly mean that he would end up in a school out of our borough that he would have to travel to, and therefore lots of his friends would not be living close to him. So in the end we didn’t register him for that test as there would be no point sending him to a school he didn’t want to go to.

So now all his hopes are on the test tomorrow and Wednesday. He seems confident and we have confidence in him. But is it wrong to try and prepare him in case he doesn’t get through? That is what we have been doing. Trying to tell him it isn’t the end of the world if he doesn’t pass. It doesn’t make him any less capable than his brother. There is a lot of competition between them over the silliest of things so this really would cause a major upset!!

We certainly don’t want him to feel any sort of failure. We don’t want to be seen as treating him any different from his brother if he doesn’t get through.

So the next 3 weeks waiting for the results just won’t go quick enough!!! Talk about wishing your life away. As with his older brother we have told him that the letter will arrive and we will not open it as this will be his job when he gets home from school.
( What we won’t tell him is that we will have steamed the letter open at lunchtime when it arrives so we know the outcome before he gets his grubby mits on the thing!!)

And then the drama will start!! The next day at the school playground………….kids and adults alike all eager to hear if your child has passed or not!! Whispers behind peoples backs about the shock passes and ‘fails’ ( although no child at the age of 10 and 11 should be seen as a failure!!!) But that’s what it all comes down to with a lot of parents these days.

So on that note……

A HUGE GOOD LUCK TO MY SON AND ALL THE CHILDREN TAKING THE 11+ IN THE NEXT 2 DAYS